A pilot and two girls were rescued after a chilly night in the Alaska wilderness Monday. The unidentified group were found on top of the wing of their Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser after it went through the ice on Tustumena Lake on the Kenai Peninsula. A Good Samaritan apparently spotted the trio about 10:30 a.m., 12 hours after the plane was reported overdue. The Army National Guard reached the site and brought them out. They were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The plane left Soldotna Airport on what was supposed to be a sightseeing flight about 5 p.m. on Sunday. It’s not clear why the pilot put down on the lake but photos from the scene show a long set of tracks leading to the spot where it broke through. The pilot is reportedly 38 years old and it’s not clear if the two girls, one elementary school age and the other a middle schooler, were related.
